ARTIST’S HINTS AND TIPS

• Use artists’ quality materials – buy the best you can afford because cheap materials will hinder your progress and frustrate you.

• Practice often, because this will build confidence.

• Plan your painting and simplify by removing unnecessary details.

• Hold your brush well back down the handle – this will help to keep your work from getting tight. Remember you are not painting a wall in your home, so don’t cover all of the paper. Leave some light areas on your paper, for some sparkle; once they are gone, they are gone forever.

• Put the paint on and then leave it alone! Fiddling will create muddy colours.

• Learn to observe and absorb. Try en plein air – this is a great way to paint and will improve your paintings, back in the studio.

• Sketch and draw as often as you can, because a good drawing assists in creating a good painting.

• Put out an ample amount of fresh pigments and make sure you mix sufficient paint. Having to go back and mix more paint, when your painting is starting to dry, is very undesirable … it will cause problems in washes drying unevenly and could create back runs.

• To keep your paintings from looking muddy, keep the number of washes to a minimum – usually no more than three – because this will help to avoid muddy colours. Make sure when glazing that the colour underneath is dry before applying more colour.

• Remember that watercolour will dry approximately 10 per cent lighter, so make sure you get the correct tone first. Go and test your colours on a scrap of paper, before you put them on your painting.

• Attend a workshop with an artist you admire. This will help you immensely in seeing how to paint and will also give you an idea of where you are with your ability compared to other students.